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Feral House Nichoir (The Birdhouse) by Matali Crasset

Feral house in Lorraine, France, built by Matali Crasset, is one of the retreat houses that has been built in this area. The entire project was started by the officials of the region who decided to ask various designers and architects to construct six camping villages. This amazingly beautiful Birdhouse cottage is the first in the series of four Feral Houses that will represent Matali Crasset’s contribution.

Every retreat house needs to be connected to the surrounding area in a way. This one is so in many ways but most notably by its shape and materials used to build it. The house is a cube, much like most houses, but this one is turned so as to rest on one of its edges. This feature, along with the plank shaped entry, inspired the name of the house – the Birdhouse (Le Nichoir).

The house is made of very lightweight wood and steel and it is placed on poles that leave the forest floor intact. The interior is divided in two different levels and designed in a minimalist manner. The lower level features a sitting area with a storage space, while the upper level houses a sleeping loft. The terrace that leads to the entry is also large enough to serve as an outdoor gathering space, or a dining area. Its most prominent feature is a very fun porch swing. The house is obviously turned to the exterior. Its shape and placement make the interior important only in terms of usability, while the beauty is reserved for the nature around it.

As we said, this is only the first house in the series of four, others being named The Deer, The Chrysalis and The Mushroom, so there is definitely more to look forward to.